[nysbirds-l] Spotted Towhee
After missing this bird on Monday (1/4) by 25 minutes, I found myself getting on the LIE from Riverhead at 0540 this morning to try once more for this rarity. Arriving on station at 0650 (possibly, the first seeker of the day) I spent all of the time up to ~ 0800 near the sand-pile, until noticing a group of animated folks on the paved path, ~ 50 yards n/o the p/lot. This short walk was quite rewarding and I thank this aforementioned group of happy birders ! Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Spotted Towhee
After missing this bird on Monday (1/4) by 25 minutes, I found myself getting on the LIE from Riverhead at 0540 this morning to try once more for this rarity. Arriving on station at 0650 (possibly, the first seeker of the day) I spent all of the time up to ~ 0800 near the sand-pile, until noticing a group of animated folks on the paved path, ~ 50 yards n/o the p/lot. This short walk was quite rewarding and I thank this aforementioned group of happy birders ! Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Eastern bluebird - yaphank
I was surprised to see an Eastern Bluebird in Yaphank along Grucci lane today. Several ravens also in the area. There is significant bluebird habitat in the area but have not seen them on many previous visits. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Eastern bluebird - yaphank
I was surprised to see an Eastern Bluebird in Yaphank along Grucci lane today. Several ravens also in the area. There is significant bluebird habitat in the area but have not seen them on many previous visits. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Gr. W.-fr. Goose, W. Tanager, etc. - N.Y. County, NYC, Tuesday, 1/5
Tuesday, January 5th - N.Y. County, including Manhattan & Randall’s Island[s] & other adjacent isles. A Greater White-fronted Goose (of the Greenland-breeding form) has continued on at Randall’s Island, on Tuesday photographed mid-day at the N/E quadrant (east of footbridge into the Bronx) & mostly in the Bronx Kill waterway, north of all the sports fields, with many Canada Geese; a few [Atlantic] Brant also in the same area. At times, a lot of the geese, including the Greater White-fronted were resting with bill[s] tucked-in, but that white ‘front' was a giveaway to the latter anyhow. (Earlier, the *white-fronted* had been seen to the west of the bridges, along the Bronx Kill.) Distant, but scope-able, were a couple of Common Goldeneye (not in N.Y. County waters when I was observing there this time). And there were, and often are, other even-more-distant duckage in the easterly direction, the western-most parts of Long Island Sound. [p.s., I was on-site with the geese at a rising but still half-out tide, & I was the only person I noticed with optics at that hour, seeking geese & all the other birds. I’m sorry to learn that any birds might have been flushed or disturbed; in a busy city, this is part of birding sometimes, and hopefully birds getting flushed is usually an entirely-unintentional act]. Easier-to-see ducks near shore out that way have included Red-breasted Mergansers, a few Buffleheads, and plenty of Gadwall. Loons of the 2 regular species have been around the waters near Randall’s also. An adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron also persists, perhaps the individual that chose to stay over last winter as well, that at Little Hell Gate salt marsh, & (as on 1/5) often in the n. edge channel area there. A modest number of American Tree Sparrows were around that area (& a few elsewhere), as well as a lingering R.-c. Kinglet. And, a slight increase of Slate-colored Juncos, from my own most-recent visit, this time over 3-dozen in various places, including one flock of 25+ together. With that larger group were also 3 Common Redpolls, which however quickly took flight, from near the w. edge of Randall’s a little north of the foot-bridge (that leads to Manhattan) and those flying off (roughly) to the southeast; I did not encounter any more. A very few Redpolls have also been seen in recent days, both at Randall’s, and in reports from Manhattan, where there also have been a (few, so far) Pine Siskins showing, sometimes in flocks of other seed-eating species in the Sweet Gum trees, which are widespread in multiple larger parks (and some are also on Randall’s Island). There was at least a modest movement, possibly rather local, of 'winter passerines', such as some of the preceding, minus kinglets. At Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan’s upper east side, off East End Ave. & near E. 86th Street, a Western Tanager has persisted, most often in or near taller elms & sometimes flying a short way out of the park to some fruit bearing trees on East End Ave. Recently, it is this W. Tanager that’s been rather reliably found, while the last 2 times I have again attempted to view & photograph the first W. Tanager to show up in Manhattan (at West 22nd Street) this season (in December), I have not been able to locate it - which does not mean it’s left the area; however, if still around it may well be covering more ground, or possibly has found a new ‘base’ from which to find sufficient food. In terms of fruits, there are plenty of trees & shrubs within just a few city-blocks in several directions, to accommodate a partly frugivorous bird in the form of a tanager. So, as many birders have been, the Carl Schurz W. Tanager seems the one to seek, if seeking that species in Manhattan now. Thanks to Kathy Drake for a later-p.m. report of the Carl Schurz tanager. On various jaunts to east & west shores of Manhattan, as well as at Randall’s Island, I’ve lately tried to check out various gull-roosts, but so far come up with just the typical 3 species of our area - (Ring-billed, [American] Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls). It’s worth further seeking as winter goes along, and there are some quite interesting gulls still showing up in the wider region, as evidenced by various reports. …. "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass (1818-1895; U.S. statesman, orator, writer) Good birding to all - and thanks to the many who also keep the birds’ best interests at heart when out in the field - and limit any possible disturbances to the birds’ requirements for food, shelter, & safety, including for the many migrants a safe passage on their often long journeys as well as birds now on roost sites. Tom Fiore, manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1)
[nysbirds-l] Gr. W.-fr. Goose, W. Tanager, etc. - N.Y. County, NYC, Tuesday, 1/5
Tuesday, January 5th - N.Y. County, including Manhattan & Randall’s Island[s] & other adjacent isles. A Greater White-fronted Goose (of the Greenland-breeding form) has continued on at Randall’s Island, on Tuesday photographed mid-day at the N/E quadrant (east of footbridge into the Bronx) & mostly in the Bronx Kill waterway, north of all the sports fields, with many Canada Geese; a few [Atlantic] Brant also in the same area. At times, a lot of the geese, including the Greater White-fronted were resting with bill[s] tucked-in, but that white ‘front' was a giveaway to the latter anyhow. (Earlier, the *white-fronted* had been seen to the west of the bridges, along the Bronx Kill.) Distant, but scope-able, were a couple of Common Goldeneye (not in N.Y. County waters when I was observing there this time). And there were, and often are, other even-more-distant duckage in the easterly direction, the western-most parts of Long Island Sound. [p.s., I was on-site with the geese at a rising but still half-out tide, & I was the only person I noticed with optics at that hour, seeking geese & all the other birds. I’m sorry to learn that any birds might have been flushed or disturbed; in a busy city, this is part of birding sometimes, and hopefully birds getting flushed is usually an entirely-unintentional act]. Easier-to-see ducks near shore out that way have included Red-breasted Mergansers, a few Buffleheads, and plenty of Gadwall. Loons of the 2 regular species have been around the waters near Randall’s also. An adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron also persists, perhaps the individual that chose to stay over last winter as well, that at Little Hell Gate salt marsh, & (as on 1/5) often in the n. edge channel area there. A modest number of American Tree Sparrows were around that area (& a few elsewhere), as well as a lingering R.-c. Kinglet. And, a slight increase of Slate-colored Juncos, from my own most-recent visit, this time over 3-dozen in various places, including one flock of 25+ together. With that larger group were also 3 Common Redpolls, which however quickly took flight, from near the w. edge of Randall’s a little north of the foot-bridge (that leads to Manhattan) and those flying off (roughly) to the southeast; I did not encounter any more. A very few Redpolls have also been seen in recent days, both at Randall’s, and in reports from Manhattan, where there also have been a (few, so far) Pine Siskins showing, sometimes in flocks of other seed-eating species in the Sweet Gum trees, which are widespread in multiple larger parks (and some are also on Randall’s Island). There was at least a modest movement, possibly rather local, of 'winter passerines', such as some of the preceding, minus kinglets. At Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan’s upper east side, off East End Ave. & near E. 86th Street, a Western Tanager has persisted, most often in or near taller elms & sometimes flying a short way out of the park to some fruit bearing trees on East End Ave. Recently, it is this W. Tanager that’s been rather reliably found, while the last 2 times I have again attempted to view & photograph the first W. Tanager to show up in Manhattan (at West 22nd Street) this season (in December), I have not been able to locate it - which does not mean it’s left the area; however, if still around it may well be covering more ground, or possibly has found a new ‘base’ from which to find sufficient food. In terms of fruits, there are plenty of trees & shrubs within just a few city-blocks in several directions, to accommodate a partly frugivorous bird in the form of a tanager. So, as many birders have been, the Carl Schurz W. Tanager seems the one to seek, if seeking that species in Manhattan now. Thanks to Kathy Drake for a later-p.m. report of the Carl Schurz tanager. On various jaunts to east & west shores of Manhattan, as well as at Randall’s Island, I’ve lately tried to check out various gull-roosts, but so far come up with just the typical 3 species of our area - (Ring-billed, [American] Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls). It’s worth further seeking as winter goes along, and there are some quite interesting gulls still showing up in the wider region, as evidenced by various reports. …. "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass (1818-1895; U.S. statesman, orator, writer) Good birding to all - and thanks to the many who also keep the birds’ best interests at heart when out in the field - and limit any possible disturbances to the birds’ requirements for food, shelter, & safety, including for the many migrants a safe passage on their often long journeys as well as birds now on roost sites. Tom Fiore, manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1)
